Jurgen Klopp revealed only the the first five penalty takers were decided for Liverpool in the shootout against Stoke so Joe Allen took the initiative in sudden death to seal Liverpool’s place in the League Cup final.
An offside Marko Arnautovic goal put the visitors level on aggregate at Anfield following Jordon Ibe’s winner in the reverse fixture. Penalties were needed to settle the encounter and the Reds edged matters from the spot 6-5 with Simon Mignolet saving efforts from Mark Muniesa and Peter Crouch before Allen converted the decisive kick.
“We only decided the first five, but we recognised that Joe usually should shoot," Klopp explained after the match.
"We already had five, but there was no real decision – he [Allen] took the ball and not only because of the Arsenal goal.
“He is a really, really good boy, a good lad, and it’s not the most easy of situations sometimes for players if you are in good shape – which he obviously is – but you don’t play from the beginning or in matches like this.
“He came in, he is a really good character, and he did well. He decided the game for us.”
Klopp admitted he did not watch the shootout due to impeded vision, as well nerves.
“Until now I have not seen one penalty, to be honest – I was behind the wall my players built up [in front of me] so I will watch them at home,” he said.
“It was a mixture. Usually I want to see but we couldn’t see anything. I can’t be on my knees – I had an ACL 20 years ago and it’s still not 100 per cent! That’s why I sat on a chair and you could see nothing. And it felt good, to be honest, only watching the crowd. In the end, we won without me watching and that’s good.”
Klopp will lead Liverpool out at Wembley on February 28, but maintained the occasion is all about his players.
"I’m pleased, but you can’t believe how unimportant it is that I’m in a first cup final and things like this – it’s not important," he said.
"I am really pleased with being in a cup final for my players because they deserved it because of so many things that have happened in the last weeks, how we’ve done in this tournament, how the game was tonight and the kind of goal we conceded tonight.
"We stayed in the game, learnt in the game to make it better. The first half was not too good because it was a second-ball fight. I spoke about the changing style of Stoke, but I think they maybe found a way back for one game. It was really difficult for us.
"There were a lot of set-plays and we did really well tonight. You saw a very good reaction from the lads. Then we conceded this goal - half-time and everybody tells us it was ‘double offside’! – and then we went out and had to play better.
"Winning the first ball is important in a game like this and winning the second ball is very important, but if you win the second ball then you have to play. That’s what we forgot in the first half, although in the second half we did it better.
"We played quick, easy, let them run and you saw control we got more control in the game, but always when they had the ball it was difficult around our box to defend these long balls.
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